"He has disgraced the clan and deserves to be punished."
Xiao Jinghong kicked Xiao Huan away and then turned his head and said calmly.
As everyone watched Xiao Huan being kicked away like a ball, a chill ran down their spines. Then, Xiao Jinghong's authoritative voice rang out again.
"Remove Xiao Huan from his position as a cabinet elder on the spot and impose a one-month curfew!"
"Whoosh!"
These words shocked everyone present. They had assumed that Xiao Huan had been seriously injured by the Northern King after he uttered those words earlier, and that wasn't the end of it. In the end, Xiao Jinghong had added insult to injury, and he was even dismissed from his position as an elder. His life had changed so drastically in such a short time. It was truly astonishing!
Upon closer reflection, it seems that all of this is not solely due to Xiao Huan's own foolishness; it also implicitly includes Xiao Yan's role.
Consider what has happened to Xiao Yan in the months since he joined the clan; in every single incident, he has gained the upper hand.
The final result of Zhao Jin's affair was that he was stripped of all family status, all the permissions granted by the Xiao Clan were revoked, and even Xiao Dingtian, the head of the Inner Cabinet, was implicated. The battle between Xiao Yan and Xiao Lei made his name resound throughout the Xiao Clan. To this day, he has even refined seventh-grade pills. All of this is centered around him, and the ultimate beneficiary is still him!
Looking at the situation now, some clan elders couldn't help but ponder. Although Xiao Jinghong's actions were indeed righteous and just, from a certain perspective, weren't they also a way of bowing down and showing weakness to Xiao Yan?
Saving Xiao Huan was to protect his reputation, punish Xiao Huan, and also to remove trouble for Xiao Yan. All of these things secretly horrified them!
With this thought in mind, many of the family elders present immediately cast respectful glances at Xiao Yan.
Without absolute strength to command prestige, choosing sides becomes an essential measure for future development. This behavior is the same regardless of power or time.
"Walk."
Xiao Yan glanced indifferently at Xiao Jinghong in the arena. After someone took away the unconscious Xiao Huan and then withdrew the Northern King, he said something indifferently and then walked towards the corridor. Xiao Xuan followed closely behind.
As Xiao Yan and the others left, the onlookers gradually dispersed. Xiao Jinghong stood there, gazing in the direction Xiao Yan had gone, his heart filled with hesitation.
The group returned to the main hall and took their seats. Only then did Xiao Yan ask the question that had been bothering him earlier.
"Where's Lian'er? That girl is usually quite lively."
"Hehe, that girl said she was worried that you wouldn't have anyone to help you, so after you went into seclusion to refine pills, she also entered the cultivation room. It's been more than three months now. With the cultivation resources I prepared for her, her cultivation level probably won't fall behind."
Xiao Xuan smiled.
"It's tough on her."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan felt a slight warmth in his heart. A memory of a girl from the past surfaced in his mind. She had the same thoughts and was diligently cultivating in order to help him, but unfortunately, she had forgotten about him from beginning to end. But now... things have changed.
"Furthermore, your cultivation level... seems to be more than just the Early-Stage Yuan Zong, doesn't it?"
Regaining his composure, Xiao Yan's gaze returned to Xiao Xuan. Although his Spiritual Strength was currently excessively depleted, he could still faintly sense that the aura within Xiao Xuan was far beyond that of an ordinary Yuan Zong cultivator.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Mingyuan finally realized what was happening. As his gaze fell upon the latter, Xiao Xuan spoke up, smiling slowly:
"I had just broken through to Samsung before I came back."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback, then clicked his tongue in surprise. On the other hand, Xiao Mingyuan, although he already knew that Xiao Xuan's cultivation had broken through to the Yuan Zong, was still stunned when he heard this. His mouth was wide open, his old face was frozen, and he looked completely dumbfounded. The shock in his heart was beyond words.
He's only been at the Yuan Zong level for three months, yet his cultivation has already jumped directly to the Three-Star Yuan Zong?
Is it possible to break through one star level in just one month?
"This... you're not treating cultivation like building a house, one floor a month?"
After a long pause, even someone as composed as Xiao Mingyuan couldn't help but utter a remark that was both laughable and absurd.
For a moment, Xiao Xuan was speechless. Xiao Yan, who knew the reason behind it, could only shake his head with a wry smile. He guessed that Xiao Yan's cultivation journey had been full of hardships, and his cultivation level was entirely due to the Heavenly Flames. The dangers and pain he had experienced were beyond the reach of ordinary people. But compared with Xiao Xuan in front of him, they were completely different!
However, it's no wonder Xiao Mingyuan was so shocked. After all, it usually takes a long time for ordinary people to improve their cultivation after breaking through to the Yuan Zong. Even Xiao Lei and his companion only advanced to the third level after several years away. Even so, they considered it extremely fast. But Xiao Xuan was able to break through to the Three-Star Yuan Zong in three months, which was truly astonishing.
"Tsk tsk, you two, grandfather and grandson, are truly terrifying. One is a Tier Seven Alchemist, and the other is a Seventh-Tier Formation Master. Even their cultivation levels haven't fallen behind. If things continue like this, breaking through to the Yuan Zun will probably be just around the corner. Considering what has happened recently, I believe Xiao Dingtian and his gang won't dare to come knocking on our door so easily anymore."
In the end, Xiao Mingyuan couldn't help but exclaim in praise, a hopeful look appearing on his face. However, the moment his words fell, his expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly stood up and looked towards the door.
At the same time, Xiao Yan and his companion looked in that direction and saw three figures walking slowly towards them outside the hall. It was none other than Xiao Jinghong and his group from before.
"They really came as soon as they were told..."
Looking at the three figures stepping into the hall, Xiao Mingyuan couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath. Beside him, Xiao Yan stood up and looked at each other expressionlessly. When Xiao Yan's gaze swept over Xiao Tian, he saw the latter's slightly embarrassed face and couldn't help but think about something.
"What, you've finished teaching Xiao Huan a lesson, and now you're here to interrogate me? With me here, you won't be tolerated."
Xiao Mingyuan took two steps forward and said in a cold tone.
"First, I'm not here to demand an explanation; second, I only have one thing to say, and I'll leave after that."
Ignoring Xiao Mingyuan, Xiao Jinghong replied curtly, his gaze immediately falling on Xiao Yan behind him. He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, hesitated for a few seconds, and then said:
"To paraphrase Xiao Huan, let's not beat around the bush. I've come here hoping you'll transfer that Ancestor Transformation Pill to Tian'er. From now on, I will no longer be your enemy, and I'll also owe you a favor. I will do my best to help you with matters concerning the clan."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Mingyuan's expression froze for a moment. He looked at Xiao Tian, who was standing to the side with his head down, unsure of what to say. Only then did he realize that Xiao Jinghong was showing weakness for the sake of his grandson!
Upon thinking of this, the old man's expression softened slightly.
No matter how much these old guys fight each other on a daily basis, these young people are, after all, the future of the family!
"Hehe..."
However, upon hearing this, Xiao Yan gave a cold laugh and said:
"Do you think I would care if you were my enemy now? Or would I need someone like you to help me? Based on what happened today, if I just raise my voice, the Xiao Clan will surely respond..."
"Borrow! Consider it a loan! I will definitely return it to you personally one day!"
As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, Xiao Jinghong blushed and suddenly spoke up, but all he got in return was Xiao Yan's sneer.
"I am now Tier Seven Alchemist, I don't need pills."
"That..."
"Enough!"
Just as Xiao Jinghong was about to speak, Xiao Tian, whose face was grim and unsightly, finally couldn't hold back any longer and roared, looking up at Xiao Yan angrily and growling:
" Xiao Yan! Let me tell you, I can break through even without elixirs! But my grandfather will not tolerate your humiliation!"
After saying this, Xiao Tian ignored Xiao Jinghong's advice, turned around and pulled the latter to leave. Xiao Ming, who was standing to the side, bowed respectfully to Xiao Yan and the others and hurriedly followed.
But at that very moment...
"Stop!"
At a shout, as Xiao Tian stopped, a jade bottle shot out and was caught in his hand as he turned around.
"Unnecessary!"
Looking at the jade bottle in his hand, Xiao Tian felt a surge of anger and wanted to crush it.
"It's not for you."
As Xiao Jinghong hurriedly tried to stop him, Xiao Yan calmly said:
"You should be grateful you have a good grandfather. If he hadn't intervened to stop the Northern King, I would never have given you this pill."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yan turned around and, amidst the astonished gazes of Xiao Mingyuan and the others, walked wearily towards his bedroom. Xiao Jinghong, on the other hand, stared at Xiao Yan's retreating figure with a look of suspicion, wondering what his earlier intervention had to do with this.
Of those present, only Xiao Xuan seems to understand this point.
Consider what has happened since Xiao Yan joined the Xiao Clan. Every single incident has been one of fratricide. The so-called kinship and lineage have turned into utter ruthlessness. These people have no compassion whatsoever, except for the power they hold in their hands. The Bai Hua incident, in particular, chilled Xiao Yan's heart to the bone. If it weren't for Xiao Xuan, he probably would have left the Xiao Clan long ago.
However, regarding Xiao Huan's matter today, although Xiao Jinghong handled it quite strictly, it must be said that he intervened at the most critical moment to save Xiao Huan's life. Under those circumstances, Xiao Jinghong already knew Xiao Yan's identity Tier Seven Alchemist, yet he still stepped in to help someone who was of no concern to him. It was this kind of benevolence and righteousness that moved Xiao Yan.
A family should be united and of one mind, but Xiao Yan had only seen heartless and ungrateful acts in the past. Only today was he able to feel the passion of a family, which proved that the Xiao Clan was not necessarily beyond change.